Trust doesn’t scale like steel.
What makes energy clean isn’t just carbon. It’s how it lands. Who it lifts. Who it leaves. And who gets to choose.
The Antler Motel still flickers. But the lights are on. For now.
Bibliography
1. Gates, Bill. “Why I’m Betting on Nuclear Power.” ABC News, December 2021.
2. Gates outlines his investment in TerraPower and nuclear innovation in an interview following project approval in Wyoming.
2. Ewing, Rodney C., et al. “Nuclear Waste from Small Modular Reactors.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119, no.23 (2022): e2111833119.
4. A peer-reviewed study highlighting how some SMRs may generate more radioactive waste per megawatt than conventional reactors.
3. International Energy Agency. World Energy Outlook 2023. Paris: IEA, 2023.
6. The IEA projects global electricity demand doubling by 2050 and outlines key clean energy pathways.
4. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Fossil Fuel Air Pollution Responsible for 1 in 5 Deaths Worldwide.” Harvard Gazette, February 2021.
8. Cites a global study linking fossil fuel pollution to 8 million premature deaths annually.
5. NuScale Power. “Carbon Free Power Project Terminated Due to Insufficient Subscription.” Company Press Release, November 2023.
10. Announces the cancellation of a flagship SMR project after subscriber utilities dropped out.
6. National Ignition Facility. “NIF Achieves Historic Fusion Ignition.” Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, December 2022.
12. Describes the first experiment to produce net energy gain from nuclear fusion.
7. Turrell, Arthur. The Star Builders: Nuclear Fusion and the Race to Power the Planet. New York: Scribner, 2021.
14. Explains the scientific, technical, and political challenges still facing fusion energy.
8. U.S. Department of Energy. “Overview: Office of Nuclear Energy.” Last modified 2023.
16. Outlines federal funding and support for SMRs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and IRA.
9. Wray, Sarah. “Canada’s First SMR Project Moves Ahead in Ontario.” SmartCitiesWorld, January 2024.
18. Reports on the GE-Hitachi SMR under construction in Clarington, Ontario.
10. Paul, Candyce. “Public Testimony on Nuclear Waste.” English River First Nation, Northern Saskatchewan, August 2020.
20. Spoken statement at a protest opposing waste siting in Indigenous territory.
11. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electricity.” Updated 2022.
22. Breaks down total GHG impact by source, including renewables, gas, and nuclear.
12. Princeton University Net-Zero America Project. “Public Resistance and Permitting Delays.” Interim Findings, 2022.
24. Finds that roughly 45% of proposed clean energy projects face community or permitting opposition.
13. The White House. “Permitting Action Plan to Accelerate Clean Energy.” Washington, DC: Executive Office, May 2022.
26. Outlines steps to reform NEPA and speed up transmission and clean energy siting.
14. WSET News. “Campbell County Homeowners Push Back Against SMR Project.” ABC Affiliate, November 2023.
28. Local report featuring interviews with residents resisting land offers from AEP.
15. U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Levelized Cost and Performance of New Generation Resources.” 2023 Report.
30. Provides current cost comparisons between wind, solar, nuclear, and fossil-based generation.
16. New York Times. “The Long Tail of Lithium Mining.” Climate Section, March 2023.
32. Investigates the global impact of lithium extraction on water, labor, and land rights.